The Longhorns had a lot on their minds going into Saturday’s Western Trails Conference championship round. They had poured a lot of emotion and energy into their revenge-fueled 40 point win over Bridgeport in the semifinals. Gordon-Rushville was riding a high after pulling off a dramatic, last second upset of Hemingford the day before. And deep down, slight comparisons with last season’s all-senior squad stewed.

Kimball had captured the title for five consecutive years, as well.

“A lot of people didn’t think we could do it,” Trevan Hinton acknowledged after he and his teammates took home an improbable sixth in convincing 69-33 fashion.

If anyone expected an emotional breakdown from the Longhorns, they were quickly disabused of the notion. Jake Reader corralled the opening tip and flipped the ball to a sprinting Jeff Greenwood. He took it to the hoop for a picture perfect lay up.

The Mustangs’ Kalen Coats answered, but Mike Daum hit two consecutive jumpers in response, the second from deep in three point land. Kimball led 7-2.

Renen Sahr shaved two from the Longhorns lead moments later. In response, Brent Bussinger knocked one in from the wing and followed up by snatching Gordon-Rushville’s inbound pass and banging it off the glass.

By the time the first quarter ended--on Caleb Reuter’s buzzer beater--Kimball held a 22-12 advantage.

“The team came ready to play,” head coach Bruce Tjosvold observed.

Gordon-Rushville struggled to remain close, and did so for a time. Early in the second quarter they edged to within five after a 5-0 run. But Reader and Daum slammed the door shut, the latter restoring a ten point gap by swishing one from inside the circle while falling on his back. At the break it was 35-24 in favor of the Longhorns.

Coats tried to rally his mates as the second half opened, slicing through Kimball’s defense to complete a baseline jumper. Greenwood answered with a three. The Mustangs’ Daniele Marozzi knocked down two of two from the line, but Reader, Reuter and Hinton replied forcefully, combining for 14 consecutive points.

As the fourth quarter got underway, Reader, Bussinger and Hinton drove the baseline in quick succession--the rout was well and truly on. Gordon-Rushville managed just one point in the final eight minutes.

Kimball’s sixth conference championship in as many years was particularly special for this current crop of Longhorns.

“To me it means we’re not last year’s team,” Bussinger said, referring to the senior-heavy squad that earned a spot in the state tournament. “No one thought we’d be here, but here we are.”

Greenwood agreed.

“Winning last night by 40 and tonight by 30--I think we made a statement,” he exclaimed.

It was a wild and at times frantic tourney for Kimball as they stepped up the pressure and pace against Bridgeport and the Mustangs, after a lackadaisical opening win over Morrill.

Now, added Dalton Lockwood, “we have to keep it going.”

The Longhorns must now carry that pace into the final three games of the regular season and subdistrict play. But Tjosvold is convinced this year’s edition is a “pure” team, one in which someone fits every role and steps into every moment.

“Our defense was stellar over the weekend, we shot the ball better--everything clicked,” he explained. “I think we’re hitting our stride.”

Kimball hosts Hemingford on Friday.

“We just have to keep up the momentum,” Ryan Shields said.